Sound-beam for violins.



No. 722,561. PATBNTED MAR. 1o, 1903. J.BUNCH. SQUND BEAM FOR VIOLINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1902.

F0 MODEL.

51h27 EL/77627.'

@Romanas UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH BUN OH, OF RENO, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

SOUND-BEAM FOR VIOLINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,561, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed June 12,1902. Serial No. 111,353. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH BUNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of Canadian and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound Beams for Violins; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements inV sound beams or bars for violins and otherV stringed musical instruments.

The objectis to provide an improved soundbar which will increase both the volume and quality of tone by and, through the law of sympathetic vibration.

A further object or purpose is to strengthen the sound or vibration of the wood of the instrument, also to cause all discordant tones t0 come in harmony with the strings of the instrument. A

With these and other objects in view,which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, said invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a bottom plan view of the top piece or sounding-board of a violin. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a plane intersecting the two series of reeds and showing the sound-bar, which comprises a series of superposed strips.

In the drawings, l denotes the top piece or sounding-board of a violin, and 2 denotes the improved sound beam or bar, comprising in its construction a strip of wood or several strips glued together and rigidly connected to the inner side of the top piece l of thesounding-board in the place of the ordinary bass bar and practically forming a bass bar in itself. To this bar are attached two series of laterally and horizontally disposed Wooden reeds 3 with space enough between to allow them to vibrate. These reeds are tuned to correspond to the tones produced on the strings and to the exact pitch of the instrument. The reeds are tuned by changing the length or thickness of the same. The reeds may beof any desired number above twelve and are to be tuned to a chromatic scale for every twelve reeds.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming to set up a separate tone by the vibration of the reeds; but when an instrument is played with this attachment the sympathetic vibration of the sound-board is greatly increased by the vibration of the reeds, whereby the volume of -tone is greatly increased. The reeds being of the same material as the soundboard the sympathetic vibration acts readily on the reeds, which being tuned to harmonize with the tone of the strings increases the volume of tone not by the reeds acting as an auxiliary string, but by the effect they have on the sound-board, as the volume of tone of the strings depends entirely on the vibration of the sound-board.

The purpose of this attachment is, first, to strengthen the vibration of the sound-board, and, second, to bring the vibration into harmony with the tone of the strings, whereby the volume and sweetness of the tone are increased.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved sound beam or bar will be readily apparent Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A sounding-board for musical instruments having a sound-bar affixed directly to its under side, and reeds projecting from and carried by said sound-bar, substantially as described.

2. A sounding-board for musicalV instruments having a sound-bar aiixed directly to its under side, and reeds projecting from and carried by the sound-bar, the latter and the reeds being made of the same material as the sounding-board, substantially as described.

IOO

3. A sounding-board for musical instruments having a sound-bar affixed directly to its under side and comprising a plurality of Wooden strips glued together, certain of the strips being formed With reeds that project from the sound bar, substantially as described.

4. A sounding-board for musical instruments having a sound-bar affixed directly to its under side and comprising a plurality of Wooden strips secured together to prevent independent vibration thereof, certain of the strips being provided with reeds that project from the sound-bar, substantially as described.

5. A sounding-board for musical instrumentshaving a longitudinally-disposed soundbar afxed directly to its under side, and reeds projecting laterally from said sound-bar and carried thereby, substantially as described.

6. A sounding-board for musical instruments having a longitudinally-disposed sound- `bar affixed directly to its under side, said sound-bar being provided with a plurality of series of reeds projecting laterally therefrom and varying in length, substantially as described.

7. A sounding-board having a sound-bar affixed directly to its under side and comprising a plurality of superposed strips secured together against independent vibration, certain of the said strips being formed integral With reeds which project laterally from the sound-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

JOSIAH BUNCH.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. BELLAMY, I. S. DUNGAN. 

